1. Technical Field
This disclosure relates to an expansion module for an interface card, and more particularly to an expansion module, a computer case assembly having the expansion module, and a computer system having the expansion module.
2. Related Art
A common motherboard of a computer system includes various card slots. These card slots are used to be inserted by different interface cards. A common method of installing an interface card is that the interface card is arranged perpendicular to the motherboard, and the card-edge connector of the interface card is directly inserted into the card slot.
However, in a slim type computer, such as 1 U blade severs, the height inside the inner space of the computer case is small, and it is difficult to arrange the interface card perpendicular to the motherboard. Alternatively, a transfer circuit-board is inserted into the card slot at first, and then the card-edge connector of the interface card is inserted into the expansion slot of the transfer circuit-board. Therefore, the interface card is arranged in parallel to the motherboard to solve problems caused by the small height of the computer case. For example, US Utility patent U.S. Pat. No. 6,373,691 B1 and R. O. C. (Taiwan) Invention Patent I329485 (also disclosed as U.S. Pat. No. 7,639,488 B2) disclose the approaches of connecting the interface card to the motherboard through a transfer circuit-board connected to the motherboard.
In U.S. Pat. No. 6,373,691 or I329,485, the computer case is a desktop case and the interface card is set in horizontal direction. In the case of an interface card without exposed I/O ports, usually there is no mechanical connection between the interface card and the computer case; such an interface card is only fixed and supported by the combination of forces between the interface card and the expansion slot. Under such a condition, the interface card usually behaves like a cantilever beam. The interface card swivels toward the motherboard and poor contact/connection results when vibration/shock/gravitational force is applied to the interface card. Poor contact/connection makes the computer system unstable. Even more seriously, the interface card could escape from the expansion card, resulting in computer system malfunction.